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Big Pharma

“The unit of eye care company Bausch & Lomb pleaded guilty to conspiracy to offer kickbacks to induce physicians to prescribe Xibrom, a drug meant to treat pain after cataract surgery, and conspiracy to promote that drug for unapproved uses, including after Lasik and glaucoma surgeries.

Ista agreed as part of a criminal settlement to a $16.63 million fine and an $1.85 million asset forfeiture. It also agreed to a $15 million civil settlement to resolve allegations that its marketing of Xibrom caused false claims to be submitted to government health care programs.

As part of the settlement, Ista will be barred from participating in Medicare and Medicaid, and Bausch & Lomb agreed to strengthen its compliance and ethics procedures.”

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I keep meaning to put the F.D.A. on my black list here. Here’s one of the countless reasons why:

“Did you know that if a supplement company “Likes” a customer’s Facebook post, it magically transforms nutritional supplements into drugs? The same thing happens if a supplement’s website links to a scientific article!

As recently as this week, the FDA has made attacks like these to expand the agency’s definition of “disease claim.” Why? By saying a supplement makes a disease claim, the FDA can call it a “drug”—and then remove it from the market!”

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“Pradaxa (dabigatran) is an anti-clotting drug used to treat a type of irregular heartbeat called nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AF) and to prevent strokes. It’s used as an alternative to warfarin, an older drug, and needs less monitoring (warfarin requires regular doctor’s visits, blood tests, and dietary restrictions). In clinical trials, Pradaxa outperformed warfarin in reducing the risk of stroke, and it initially appeared to be safer, causing less hemorrhaging. But that turned out not to be the case. In 2011, Pradaxa caused 542 people to bleed to death.”

542 people bled to death in 2011 because of Pradaxa. Hello world, time to wake up.